Fire-escape.



R. W. SGHWEIMLER.

. FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 12, 1908.

937,722. I Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W/ TNE SSE S ATTOHNE rs R. W. SGHWEIMLER FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.1Z, 1908.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- and arrangements herein described and.

ROBERT. W. SGHWEIMLER, OF LOUISVILLE, KEIbT'JFl'J't'lKY.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

Application fil ed October 12, 1908. Serial No. 457,241.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. SGHWEIM- LER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have madecertain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved means for escaping from a building or other structure which is threatened with fire, and it consists in the combinations, constructions claimed.

An object of myinvention is to provide a device .in which a person may be safely transported to the ground from an elevation quickly butwithout injury. To this end I have provided an inclined covered chute .of zigzag construction. The user of the fire escape is conveyed to the ground while sliding in a sitting posture.

A further object (if my invention is to provide means by which the normally covered chute may be opened automatically by the simple raisingof a window opposite which the chute passes, thereby providing means for entrance into the chute.

A further object of my invention is to provide means at the bottom ofthe chute for preventing the entrance of intruders, while at the same time providing automatic means for unlocking the closure at the bottom in order to permit the exit of the user of the chute.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a building provided with my improved fire escape. Fig. 2'is a detail section through the fire escape and an adjacent window. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 4'is'an inner side view of. the door at the bottom of the chute, and Fig. 5 is a section through the door along the line 55 of Fig. 4. I

Referring now to Fig. 1 I have shown therein a chute which I have denoted in general by A, having a semicircular bottom.

1 and straight sides 2, as shown in Fig. 2. The chute is provided with a flat top which is inclined parallel with the bottom to provide a conduit of uniform section. The chute is preferably supported upon brackets 3 attached to the side of the bullding in the manner shown in Fig. 2, and preferably has a number of turns 4 in order to diminish the speed of the person using the device.

, The chute is constructed preferably of sheet steel or iron and the provision of the top serves the purposev of preventing the collection of ice or snow and also preventing the interior of the slide from becoming rusty and thereby retarding the movement of the user down the fire escape.

As shown in Fig. 1 there is preferably a turn between each story and the chute is located near a convenient windowin each story. A door B is located in the top of the chute opposite a window 6 in each story.

This door is pivoted at the top of the chute on a pivot rod 7 and is-provided with a counterweight 8, rigidly attached to the rod.

The door B consists of an upper part 5 and v a side part 5", the-latter lying next to the window, and being provided with a lug or arm 9 arranged to project forwardly toward the window and adapted to be engaged by an arm 6 on the window sash.

In the normal position of the door, the chute is closed as is shownin Fig. 2, but when the window 6 is raised the arm 6 of the sash engages the extended arm 9, thereby raising the door and throwing the counterweight 8, which is normally above the pivot 7 and in linetherewith, over to one side, when it will immediately fall into its lowermost position, thereby swinging the door up away from the window as shown in Fig.1. 7 At the bottom'of the chute I have provided a door C which is designed to be normally locked and to prevent the entrance of intruders. This door can be automatically unlocked from the inside when a person is other side. Rotatably secured on the inner side of the door 0, in bearings 15, is the rock-shaft 16. The latter is provided with a pair of arms 17 secured thereto and pivotally connected at 18 with the inwardly turned end 19 ofthe shot bolts 12. Toward the 'lowerend ofthe rock-shaft 16 there is secured a curved lever'arm 20, which is adapted to be engaged by a curved foot lever 21,

- pivoted at 22 and 23 to the inner side of the door C as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The rock-shaft is normally under the tension of the'coiled springs 24:, at each end, thereof, which tend to keep the shot bolts extended. The latter are guided in their movement by the guide plates 25.

' On top of the chute may be arranged a water pipe 26, from which hose connections 27 may be taken off at the various floors.

The foregoing description of the various parts of the device will suffice for a clear understanding of the operation thereof.

When a person wishes to use the fire escape, the mere act of raising the window feet strike the foot lever 21, which is nor-- mally in the position shown in Fig. 5. The foot lever 21 thereupon engages the arm 20, rotating the shaft 16 together with its arms 18 and thereby withdrawing the shot bolts from their sockets in the angle iron 13. The continued momentum of the descending person-causes the door C, which has thus been unlocked, to swing outwardly upon its hinges, when the userof the fire escape is permitted to slide out. I am aware that other forms of the devicebased upon the same general idea might be made, but I consider as my own, and deweights, 0

openings, of windows and means for auto- 7 matically opening said doors when said win dows are raised.

2. The combination with a covered inclined chute provided with openings doors for' said 0 enings provided with counterwindows arranged to engage arms on said doors for moving the latter and for throwing said counterweights out of balance.

. 3..In a fire escape, an inclined chute provided' with openings, doors for said chute consisting of a top part and a side part, counterweights connected with said doors and normally disposed above the door pivots, and arms on said'doors arranged to be engaged by adjacent window sashes for operatin said doors.-

4. In a fire escape, an inclined chute provided with top and side openings, doors for said chute consisting of a top part and a side part arranged to cover the respective top and side openings in said chute, said doors being pivoted on the upper side of said chute by means of pivot rods disposed transversely of the chute, counterweights secured to said pivot rods and arms upon said doors arranged to be engaged bv adjacent window sashes for o erating the doors.

R BERT W. SCHWEIMLER.

. Witnesses:

AUGUST A. JUDATH, HOMER D. Porrnn'. 

